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14 soldiers die in heavy fighting in Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: At least 14 soldiers were killed and 34 injured in heavy fighting in the north even as the military claimed to have ambushed several parties of Tamil Tigers cadres fleeing the east. The LTTE on Sunday handed over bodies of four soldiers to the ICRC.

The Defence Ministry said the soldiers were victims of a “cowardly attack” by the Tigers in “No-War-Zone”. However, the Tigers said the battle was the result of an army attempt to “intrude” into its territory.

The Ministry said the Tamil Tigers launched the cowardly attack violating the “no-war-zone” agreed by the security forces for the Madhu church area. It said the zone was declared so on a request by the Bishop of Mannar, as it is the pilgrim season. “The security forces were compelled to retaliate to the attack and completely destroyed some of the terrorists’ mortar locations. It is believed the retaliatory attacks have caused heave casualties to the LTTE. Defence sources said that clashes had continued from dawn to dusk,” said the Ministry.

It said the LTTE cadres had positioned their heavy guns in close proximity to the revered Madhu shrine.

“A command centre equipped with communication tower has been observed at a location not more than 200 m from the church premises, the sources further added.

“The analysts suggest that the terrorists would launch attacks at the security forces taking cover from the church, just as they had done using the government hospital during the Vaharai battle,” said the military.

TamilNet said 16 soldiers were killed and 45 wounded when the LTTE forces “put up stiff resistance against a two-pronged offensive” by the army in the Mannaar-Vavuniyaa border area.

In the east the military claimed that during last 48 hours the Army had ambushed groups of LTTE terrorists at three locations.

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